Under the Sand

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<TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="549" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="545"><div> The ultimate denial</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="580" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Marie Drillon: Charlotte Rampling </div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Jean Drillon: Bruno Cremer </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Vincent: Jacques Nolot</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Amanda: Alexandra Stewart </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Gerard: Pierre Vernier</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Director: Francois Ozon</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>30 Second Bottom Line</B>: A husband of 25 years disappears while on vacation at the beach. The body goes undiscovered and his wife wonders, is he dead or alive? In French with English subtitles.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Story Line:</B> Marie and Jean Drillon (Charlotte Rampling and Bruno Cremer) are driving to their country house outside of Paris for a much needed vacation. Jean is a successful businessman and Marie teaches English literature at the university. They arrive at the cottage and begin the tasks of arranging their household, uncovering the furniture, airing out the rooms and preparing dinner. They are comfortable with each other using the familiar and intimate shorthand of a couple married for 25 years. Jean seems somewhat pensive as he gathers firewood, turning over a log and watching a colony of ants scatter.</div> <bR> <div> On a quiet stretch of beach one afternoon Jean says he is going swimming while Marie naps on the sand. Jean is not in sight when she awakes. She waits. Then she panics; no one has seen him. The authorities are called in to search for Jean, with no luck.</div> <bR> <div> Then the impertinent questions begin. Would her husband have any reason to leave? Has he been depressed lately? Is there perhaps another woman?</div> <bR> <div> Marie leaves a photo of Jean with the police and a description of what he was wearing and she returns home to Paris. Several months pass, with no word and no body.  </div> <bR> <div> Marie goes on with her life, teaching literature, going to work out at the gym-and preparing tea and toast for Jean each morning as if he is at home. It is inconceivable for Marie to live her life without her husband. So, she creates his presence out of the thin ether of her imagination. He is there waiting for her when she arrives home. They talk and she lies in bed next to him at night. </div> <bR> <div> Her friend Amanda (Alexandra Stewart) is anxious for Marie to move on in her life. She is aware of Marie's unwillingness to let go of Jean, and encourages her to consider professional help. Amanda also invites a single man to join all of them for dinner one evening, in hopes of matchmaking. Vincent (Jacques Nolot) is a likable enough guy, at first a bit aggressive in his approach.</div> <bR> <div> Marie's sexual encounters with Vincent lay bare (pun intended) all the intensity and experience of a woman in her fifties. The crux of their relationship rests on need and confusion; and the two men, Vincent and Jean, can coexist within Marie's realm. She and Jean even talk about her affair with Vincent.</div> <bR> <div> That delicate balance may be shattered as Marie begins to unravel some threads of her husband's life, that she was not aware of. And a visit to Jean's mother at a nursing home causes the old woman to shout at Marie what may be a prophetic statement of truth. </div> <bR> <div> A body matching Jean's description is discovered, drowned and bloated. The personal items appear to be his as well. The police are certain this is Jean. Still unable to accept the loss, Marie denies that the body is her husband's. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Tell Me More About It</B>: Director Francois Ozon is 34 years old, with two previous feature films to his credit; <I>Water Drops on Burning Rocks</I> and <I>Criminal Lovers</I>, both critically acclaimed but without wide distribution in the U.S. He chose Charlotte Rampling to portray Marie he says because, "I wanted Marie to be a beautiful woman, a woman the viewer could fall in love with." He acknowledges that there are very few roles for women over fifty and he wanted to show the character as vital and seductive. </div> <bR> <div> Rampling's role in the recent film <I><B>Signs and Wonders</B></I> draws on her sensuality and passion also; and there too she is involved with two men.</div> <bR> <div> The idea being examined in <I><B>Under the Sand </B></I>is the bereavement process, the letting go. Another film that deals beautifully with this notion is Pedro Almodovar's <I><B>All About My</B></I><I> </I><I><B>Mother</B></I><I>. </I>There is a certain type of madness that prevails on many levels when you are dealing with a disappearance or a suicide. I'm reminded of the many missing children and adults with families waiting in uncertainty. </div> <bR> <div> Wisdom and wit are found in this film. Add to this your own feelings about letting go and what's really going on here and you have a wonderful movie going experience.</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="591" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div>   Not Rated  (mature themes, brief nudity)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> Pam Singleton © 2001</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> <A HREF="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com"><U><U>pam@reelmoviecritic.com</U></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> Mini Filmography </div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="286"><div> Charlotte Rampling: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#CCFF33" FACE="Arial" ><I><B>Signs and Wonders</B></I></FONT></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Bruno Cremer: Inspector Maigret - TV</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="501" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="495"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="495" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>